December 24, 2009

The Taco Trucks of Winter

The owner of Jalisco dice esta abierta!

Wintertime is not Prime Time for the Taco Truck Trade. However, many stay open for the season. We found this out the hard way last February when we first started our taco truck tracking. Some of the trucks set up tents to shield customers from some of the elements. Taco slingers that keep on trucking in the cold can feel like the Maytag repairman so do drop by to see them from time to time. A warm taco can bring back thoughts of summertime taco tours and memories of the sun. There are special wintertime treats like Atole – which is a wonderful, warm, custardesque drink that appears in the cold months. Below is a list of trucks that we have confirmed as open – all subject to change.

When possible call ahead and always have a back up truck in mind for your visit. We will update changes and could use your help with that task. There may be some additions. As a general rule, if it is over 32 degrees and daylight – your chances are good. Gracias.

West Side


La Popular
3545 W. Broad St.
614.330.1994
Hours Vary

El Huarache Veloz
2566 W. Broad St. (approx)
Hours Vary

Taqueria Little Mexico
3900 Sullivant Ave
Open 10am – 6 pm (hours will vary)

Los Guachos
461 Commerce Sq. (in El Volcan parking lot) / aka 3900 Sullivant Ave
614.638.8806
Open Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Super Torta II
496 Georgesville Rd. (Near Sullivant Ave. intersection)
614.327.4192
Will reopen in late February?

Las Delicias
333 Georgesville Rd
Depends on the weather, usually open 10 am to 9 pm.

Los Potosinos
Georgesville and Lincoln Park Court
614.887.6895
Open Monday to Thursday 10 am to 6 pm. Open Friday to Sunday 10 am to 8 pm. Their famous chicken is available Friday to Sunday usually after 11 am. The truck was broken into the week before Christmas resulting in a broken window, stolen microwave, meat, beverages and a cash register. This energizer bunny of taco trucks will bounce back from the loss.

Mr. Grill Tacos
1060 Georgesville Rd
614 732 2773
Unknown if open….stay tuned.

Otro Rollo Taqueria
3866 Sullivant Avenue
614.278.2339
If / when the truck is not open you can still go into the bakery next door for some excellent Mexican pastries.

North Columbus


Taqueria Jalisco
4664 Cleveland Ave (alternative location within one block)
614.595.4202
Open 10am – 9pm
Home of the twenty degree guarantee – according to the owners, if the temperature is over 20 they will be open.

Taquikin Taqueria y Loncheria Movil
2600 Morse Rd (in front of Lev’s Pawn Shop)
614.620.0831
Open 10am – 6pmish….

La Cocina Taco Express
2675 Morse Road
614.507.4925, 614.507.9925
Open 10 am – (about) 8 pm everyday

Taco Nazo
2200 E. Dublin-Granville Rd. (Near Lev’s Pawn Shop)
Monday to Saturday, hours vary.

Central Columbus


Junior’s Tacos
West 5th Ave. and Highland in Victorian Village in the Dairy Family Parking Lot – look for the Christmas lights. Often open past 9 pm. Junior is working on a new winter menu so drop by to see what he is cooking up.
614.743.7603

Taqueria Davanne
Corner of 5th and Forsythe, Victorian Village
Open – often past 9 PM.
614.735.5979

El Manantial Latino
SE Corner of Lane & High (North OSU Campus, in Shell gas station lot)
614.515.3929
Will reopen in March.
Here’s where you get your Colombian food fix.

East Side and Airport



El Tacorriendo

3344 Allegheny Ave (Intersects with James Road south of the airport)
614.560.0497
A gringo soul food truck – JoJo’s Wings, is next door and is open on occasion.

Victor Food
755 Stelzer Rd (just south of the airport entrance, across from Holiday Inn)
614.462.0192
Open 10am – 8pm
You can call in an order for hamburgers, burritos, tortas and tacos.

Las Brazas Taqueria
4865 East Main Street (Monro Mufflers and Brakes)
614.507.9121
The wife said they would not be open, but the husband said yes. The end result is they might be open depending on the weather of the day.

The 8th Taste
3720 East 5th Avenue (East of Stelzer – Near the airport and DCSC)
Open: Mon-Sat, 9am-5pm
614.592.3123


November 26, 2009

Taco Nazo: Dia del Pavo

Although the aim of Taco Trucks Columbus is to promote all Taco Trucks we can not help but have an affinity for some. One of our favorites is Taco Nazo. Our friends there are happy to step up for any tour or event we put together and their generosity has won over many converts to la vida taco. For Thanksgiving, Taco Nazo offered free Tamales and drinks from 11 am to 2 pm as a way of saying thanks to their customers old and new.

In spite of the cold, there was a good turn out. Quicho and company brought out their best: green and red tamales, Mexican hot chocolate, a warm and tasty fruit punch and an assortment of Betty’s excellent baked goods. Betty is the resident baker of the Taco Nazo team and this was my first opportunity to try some of her other specialties. Of course there was the ubiquitous cake shaped like the Taco Nazo truck.

Thanksgiving is a day of family to most that observe the day. For this Taco Truck Team member, it is a day of community (and it my understanding of Thanksgiving history and my interpretation of the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special that supports the notion). Thanksgiving is a day to share with those that are part of your life be they family, friends or those far from home. I was happy that I was able to share part of the day with the Taco Truck community that became a big part of our lives this year.

People have been asking about winter hours for our local trucks and we are working on a list to post at a later date.

Taco Nazo will be open during the winter from 10 am to 10 pm, Monday – Saturday and closed on Sunday. They also do buffet style catering which can include Betty’s superior cakes and pastries – so if you are looking to spice up a holiday party, you may want to check in with the folks at Taco Nazo.

2200 East Dublin Granville Road (Lev’s Pawn Shop – parking lot)

NE corner of SR 161 and Maple Canyon

Look for Walgreen’s sign

Click here to map it!

November 11, 2009

El Tizoncito

More photos to come, once the stars line up......

El Tizoncito
3768 Cleveland Ave
(Near intersection of East Cooke and Cleveland Ave).
614.384.3654

Hours:
Monday to Thursday 11 am to 10 pm
Friday, Saturday and Sunday 11 am to 11 pm

The Taco Truck Columbus team knows the El Tizoncito site well. Earlier in the year, the parking lot was dubbed the Bermuda Triangle of Taco Trucks since it serves as a resting ground of trucks that are not in use. The site was first on our radar as the former location of Darbo Cafe, an Somali restaurant which closed in September. We also know El Tizoncito as “the orange truck” that was a bonus stop for the Night of 1000 Tacos. We have been delayed writing about this mobile taco stand while trying to find the owner on site to ask for permission to photograph the truck. We have also found afternoon hours to be a bit….variable.

El Tizoncito opened around August of 2009. The truck is easy to find but a little hard to figure out. There is no menu at the truck, you kind of have to sort that out for yourself. It takes a little prodding to find out what you can order. This is what is available in taco or burrito form: al pastor, carnitas, pollo, barbacoa and asada. There are also five to six homemade salsas available each day which seem to vary with each visit. We also discovered that El Tizoncito has huevos (eggs) which they will serve with jamon (ham) or as Huevos Rancheros.

Based on TTC posted comments and our own experience, the al pastor tacos are your better bet here. A word of advice for this truck, you may want to take your own beverage with you or pop across the street to the bar (if you do let us know how that goes) because we have yet to find a cold beverage here or a consistent line up of choices.

Another advisory that you can take with a grain of salt. Some of our Taco Truck savvy allies that frequent this site report that they feel a little uncomfortable and unsafe here during the later evening hours based on encounters with some the clientele. Use your best judgment, our own experiences have been OK but we have dined mostly in the early evening.

November 2, 2009

Taqueria Davanne

Corner of 5th and Forsythe, Victorian Village
11am-9pm

614.735.5979

Click here to map it!

When we first started out with this taco truck blogging adventure, everyone asked us: have you been to the truck next to the Mexican market in Victorian Village?

We had, and it was always closed.

Until now, that is.  A cousin of the owner of the market has taken the truck over, given it a fresh coat of paint, and opened up last week with a limited menu that they plan to expand with time. The hours may also increase over time. The owners are a husband and wife team and were very friendly. The truck name is a compilation of their children’s names.

Currently, they offer tacos, tortas, burritos, and quesadillas filled with your selection from six different meat options.  We tried the cecina, al pastor, and chorizo tacos, and all met or exceeded expectations.  The chorizo in particular was nice – less greasy than most, but lacking nothing in flavor. It is house-made by the grocery store, so you can also go inside and buy some to take home.

October 23, 2009

Taco Truck Trek: La Condesa – Springfield, OH

Here at Taco Truck Columbus central, we receive inquiries about other trucks in Ohio and out of state. People wonder if Columbus is some type of Taco Truck Oasis. So far, no trucks seem to be in Cincinnati or Cleveland. However, we were tipped off about a truck in Springfield (about 1 hour west of Columbus). A Taco scout brought in a menu with an address so there was no reason to defer the journey of discovery.

La Condesa
440 South Burnett Road
Springfield, OH
937 322 3145

This truck is easy to find, within sight of Springfield Regional Medical Center (a local landmark) and right next door to the (very) orange Beverage Depot. La Condesa has been open one year as of October 2009. The owners were not at the truck when visited and the employees at the truck were young and newer to the business so details were sparse. Several loyal gringo patrons were present, each one raved about the truck and one said that he eats there almost every day.

The menu is limited with a few less common items such as elotes, esquites and fruit cocktail. The most unique menu selection is the La Condesa approach to mangos: a mango with the skin removed covered with salt, lemon and hot chile. This was a first.

All of the food sampled was very good and worth additional visits when we are in the area. Another plus for this truck are the beverage choices. Granted, it is great to be next door to a beer store, but in addition to horchata and pina (rice, water and pineapple juice) La Condesa has the largest selection of Mexican soda pops encountered during our taco truck touring. Non standard choices include Mexican Pepsi, Sprite and an apple drink never encountered in either a Columbus taco truck or grocery store.

The easiest way to get to La Condesa is to take I 70 west to the US 41 exit, (this becomes High Street when you enter the city) turn left at Burnett Road (just as you are passing the hospital) and look for an orange cinderblock building.


We acknowledge that with the name, Taco Trucks Columbus, the expectation is that this is a site about….Taco Trucks in Columbus. However during our taco trekking we have developed an appreciation and deep respect for street food. So, since we are taking a reach with Springfield, why not go all out and mention a Hot Dog Truck. It is just a few blocks away from La Condesa and an argument can be made that the hot dog truck laid the foundation for taco truck acceptance in Springfield.

Big Jim’s Coney’s
Corner of East Main Street (US 40) and Bellevue Ave
Springfield, Ohio
937 324 7487

If you are going to drive to Springfield, you might as well make it worthwhile. Big Jim’s will be open at the same corner spot for ten years as of April 2010. The owner, Jim Lopez also opened a restaurant during October 2009. This stand offers hot dogs, coneys, meatball sandwiches, excellent chili and a few other items. Jim is turning the truck over to his son Sam as he invests his efforts into his new restaurant venture. As our mea culpa for the lack of Taco Truck integrity I offer two things. First, this is a great hot dog truck. Second, Jim’s dad has a taco connection, he opened the first Taco Bell east of the Mississippi. Viva los Taco Trucks wherever we find them in Ohio and bless their other street food kin.

October 16, 2009

Pambazo Thursdays at Don Pedros

Got Pambazo?

Got Pambazo?

Starting Thursday October 22nd and running until Thursday November 19th, Don Pedro’s will be offering a special on their Pambazo sandwich. The price will be $4 on any Thursday.

We came to know the owners of Don Pedros during the Nights of 1000 and 1001 Tacos. They are newer to the Taco Truck trade and could use a little burst of business as they get ready to weather their first winter in Columbus. As a social media experiment we decided to spread the word about their signature sandwich and get you a better price in the bargain.

Here is where to find the sandwich:

Don Pedro’s

Near 6066 Cleveland Ave. (near intersection with Deewood Dr.)

614.327.0515

Click here to map it!

Did you know that the Pambazo is the official sandwich of Vera Cruz? So…while some say Pambazo, at Don Pedro’s the sign says Panbazo (which makes sense Pan=Bread). However one opts to spell the special of the house, the taste is great. We went behind the scenes to see Panbazo making Don Pedro’s style.

1) Split bun, bathe in sauce, slip on the grill

1) Split bun, bathe in sauce, slip on the grill

2) Flip buns to toast, start to grill a combination of chorizo, potatoes and beans.

2) Flip buns to toast, start to grill a combination of chorizo, potatoes and beans.

3) A little spatula action.....

3) A little spatula action.....

4) Mixed grill mixture goes on the bun

4) Mixed grill mixture goes on the bun

 5) Some lechuga - lettuce to most of us

5) Some lechuga - lettuce to most of us

6) A squirt of special / secret sauce

6) A squirt of special / secret sauce

7) Slice on some avacado

7) Slice on some avacado

Pambazo - Don Pedros Panbazo style.....

Pambazo - Don Pedro's Panbazo style.....

So consider giving the sandwich and Don Pedro’s a shot. We hope you like it. Please note this warning: this saucy sandwich can make a mess so take some wet naps, shout wipes or something to supplement the napkins and wax paper that come with the sandwich.

If there are any other special taco truck dishes you want us to explore send us an e-mail.

October 12, 2009

Buenos Dias Columbus

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This time last week we were standing in a parking lot eating tacos for breakfast. While we have eaten a lot of tacos in the last 6 months, we don’t usually eat them for breakfast. This was a special occasion, we had been invited by Johnny DiLoretto to appear on Fox 28’s morning show, Good Morning Columbus. So it was that we were watching the sunrise  from a parking lot on 161.

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If you missed our TV appearances – We had Johnny riding around on Ray’s big orange cruiser to talk about the taco tour, ordering and eating Lengua tacos live on air and evangelizing about the joys of taco truck food. We are always excited about any opportunity to spread the word about Columbus’s taco truck dining opportunities. There was a lot of food and the trucks kept bringing out more and more dishes. Johnny said that he ate more that he has ever eaten on a morning shoot and I am sold on tacos and tamales for breakfast.

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We were really impressed that Johnny comes up with 90% of his location ideas himself. He films somewhere different every week day morning and coming up with novel locations every day is an amazing feat. Every suggestion we made was somewhere he had already been. He does a great job of highlighting independent businesses, interesting places in Columbus and his early morning enthusiasm is amazing and contagious.

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The trucks involved were Taco Nazo (in their regular spot near 161 and Maple Canyon) and Don Pedro’s (generally found further north at 6066 Cleveland Ave). They were fantastic as usual, up at the crack of dawn cheerfully producing tables full of food, steaming hot coffee and hot chocolate and tamales. The Taco Nazo team sporting new t shirts, had made a special cake in the shape of their truck and between segments someone even made a little satellite dish for it. It was about as much fun as you can have at 7am.

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We also got to try a new dish. Don Pedro’s whipped up some alambres – beef, peppers, onions, cheese and bacon, served with hot flour tortillas. It’s like fajitas for breakfast. Very tasty.

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The purpose of the post is mainly to thank Johnny Di Loretto for helping us to publicize the Night of 1001 tacos event; Esteban for helping us liaise with the trucks; the trucks for their enthusiasm and hospitality; and to Johnny’s friend (and former colleague) who told him that he really should do a feature on taco trucks.

Talking about health inspections

Talking about health inspections

Taco Nazo told us that they have served lots of ‘Americans’ who saw them on TV asking for lengua tacos. Good to know that lengua love is spreading.

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More photos on flickr.

October 10, 2009

Recap: Night of 1001 Tacos

To be honest, we didn’t know what to expect.  It had been raining on-and-off for days, and certainly showed no sign of letting up last night.  We had promoted this event a lot, though – through a variety of social media outlets as well as on Fox 28 and ABC 6 (thanks Johnny DiLoretto!) – so the word was out.

Results?  The turnout was, somewhat surprisingly, every bit the equal of our last taco tour, and the group’s enthusiasm held the dampness and chill at bay.  Generous servings of piping hot atole, hot chocolate, and cinnamon spiked coffee didn’t hurt either.

The trucks, of course, were fantastic at accommodating the crowds.  All of them provided tents for shelter, most offered up something warm to drink (and other treats) gratis, and a couple even donated a portion of their income from the night to charity.  Nobody does hospitality like taco trucks during one of our tours… and this is, I assure you, entirely without any sort of prompting from us (beyond simply letting them know that we’re coming).

To the 16 or so attendees who chose to travel the route on bikes – you have our sincere respect.  The weather made this something of a daunting ride, but this group just seemed to thrive on the adversity.

To everyone who attended – thank you.  We had a lot of fun chatting and getting to know many of you, and definitely got the impression that a good time was had by all. We can certainly say that your participation was worth it to the Mid Ohio Foodbank.

Special thanks to Studio 35, who generously donated all proceeds from the movie (not to mention the movie itself), and to Taco Nazo and Taqueria Jalisco for donating a portion of their income from the evening as well.  None of these guys are getting rich off of what they’re doing, making their generosity even more striking.

After all was said and done, this group effort raised over $450 for the Mid Ohio Foodbank.

We’d also like to thank Esteban.  This guy came out of nowhere a few months ago, said he liked what we’ve been doing, and offered to help in any way possible.  Since then, he’s been enthusiastically working to coordinate the trucks and the media events.  This simply wouldn’t have been the same event without him.

Quick note – there are still a few t-shirts left from last night.  If you’d like one, email us at tacotruckscolumbus@live.com and please include your shirt size.  You too can sport the latest in taco truck fashion, and for the bargain price of only $10!

Hungrywoolf and Ray George have posted photos to flickr here and here.  A few of our favorites:

Taco Nazo recreated their truck and its environs in cake!

Taqueria Jalisco, a beacon in the rain

Cyclists enjoying the offering at Taquikin

Quicho makes that t-shirt look gooood

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Don Pedro's Mexican coffee and delicious Pambazos were a hit!

At Studio 35

The cake says it all

October 9, 2009

The Show Must Go ON!!!

click here for a larger (printable) version of this flyer

Make no mistake, folks – we’re committed.  Dampness will not put a damper on the activities… or our enthusiasm!  Join us tonight – and feel free to use the mode of transportation that you feel is most appropriate given the weather.

The trucks are geared up – many have cover from the precipitation, and many are offering significant discounts.  And, don’t forget – the night ends in a nice, warm, dry theater with the screening of The Three Amigos at Studio 35.

It’s all for a good cause – all donations and ticket sales go to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank.

September 27, 2009

Night of One Thousand AND ONE Tacos

click here for a larger (printable) version of this flyer

Now *this* is the event we’ve been trying to pull off since the beginning… this is the big one.

If you’ve read the write-up from our previous outing, you know how the trucks pulled out all of the stops – offering discounts, freebies, and amazingly warm welcomes to the participants.  Expect more of the same for this event (we’ll be visiting the same trucks), plus a generous selection of raffle items and a screening of The 3 Amigos to cap it all off.

As with the last event, all proceeds benefit the Mid-Ohio Foodbank, so join us for an evening of food and fun while supporting a worthy cause.

Also, please note: while we have been promoting this heavily within the cycling community, this is an event for everyone.  Drive, ride, scoot… whatever tickles your fancy.  We’d like to ask cyclists and scooterists to meet at Studio 35, and due to the parking situation at the theater, those taking the route by car are asked to meet up at Taco Nazo.

This event will take place rain or shine.  The trucks don’t take credit cards – bring cash.